Certain games require that two acts be completed within sequential time periods. For example, in the game "Trivial Pursuit" some players have adopted a rule that a contestant has forty-five seconds to consider the question. Upon the expiration of that period of time the contestant thereafter has fifteen seconds to answer the question. It is important for the contestants to be able to visually observe how much time remains. In order to insure concentration on the game a simple display of the remaining time without numbers or other distractions should be quickly apparent. It is important also that no action be required in order to start the running of the second time period. Any such action would be a distraction.
Hourglasses have long been used to signal the passage of a period of time. They are simple, yet accurate. They provide an excellent visual display of the time that has elapsed and the time that is left. They are not readily adapted for sequential timing because in order to display the passage of several periods of time a plurality of hourglasses would be required. For playing a game like "Trivial Pursuit" where the utmost concentration is required, the use of two hourglasses would be distracting and would quite likely lead to timing errors or in inaccuracies.
There are other instances where sequential timing is required and where conventional timing devices are not suitable and where a simple, inexpensive device is desirable.
It has therefore been an objective of this invention to provide an hourglass type sand timer which can be easily and cheaply manufactured and which can display the elapse of two or more time periods. It is also an important objective that such be accomplished in a sequential fashion. It is another objective that once the timer is activated it will proceed through the timing sequence without further manipulation by the player.